MDIH News

New Procedure Provides Improved Kidney Stone Treatment

Kidney stones are the most painful urologic disorder, causing excruciating discomfort as they pass through the urinary system. Fortunately for patients of Mount Desert Island Hospital, urologist Dr. Surapaneni Ramanahda Rao now offers a non-invasive, efficient outpatient procedure for the relief of this painful condition.

Using a device that generates painless shock waves, Dr. Rao is able to disintegrate kidney stones while they’re still inside the patient’s body. No incision is required and only local anesthesia or mild sedation is used, both of which speed recovery and minimize the possibility of complications.

“My focus is providing the most advanced urologic care for people in down east Maine,” said Dr. Rao. “And by making this cutting edge technology available at MDI Hospital, I’ve given folks in this region convenient access to a more patient-friendly solution.”

The device that Dr. Rao uses in the procedure is a self-contained unit that is more efficient than others. During the procedure, the unit remains stationary while the patient is positioned to allow the doctor to pinpoint the kidney stone with the shockwaves– a process that is more efficient that other devices which move around the patient.

Dr. Rao also uses ultrasound technology instead of X-Rays to view the stone during the procedure, which provides another significant benefit. “Ultrasound technology does not expose the patient to radiation,” said Dr. Rao.

He added that ultrasound imaging technology provides another benefit. “Because of ultrasound’s unique capability, we are able to view, and therefore treat, any type of stone – including uric acid stones which don’t show up on X-Rays,” said Dr. Rao. “This means patients can be treated for all types of kidney stones here at MDI Hospital.”

In the treatment known as extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), shock waves that are created outside the body travel through the skin and body tissues until they hit the denser stones. The stones break down into small particles and are easily passed through the urinary tract in the urine.

“This procedure can be done on an outpatient basis with a brief recovery time,” said Dr. Rao. “Most people can walk out within a couple of hours and resume normal activities in a few days.” Antibiotics and pain medication may be prescribed to prevent infection and discomfort after the patient leaves.

“My goal is to provide superior urologic care to people in down east Maine and this technology allows me to offer an efficient, non-invasive, more effective solution for anyone suffering from kidney stones,” said Dr. Rao.